Heist Society

Heist Society by Ally Carter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book would make a great movie. Reminds me a little of a teenage Ocean's Eleven. The main character, Katarina Bishop's, childhood is spent helping her father. This would be a good thing except that her father is one of the most notorious thieves of the day. She tries to escape the "family business" by getting herself enrolled in a girl's boarding school. But, when her father is accused of stealing paintings from a dangerous Italian criminal, and she knows he did not do it, she is forced to return to the business. This time she has to help her father by returning the stolen paintings within the two week deadline imposed upon her by Arturo Tacone, the Italian criminal. Kat gets a team together to help her with the heist. Although, the story is about thieves, Kat is a strong character with a basic moral sense. Quite a fun read.



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NERDS

NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society by Michael Buckley

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The premise for this story of nerds being secretly a spy ring (National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society)is a fun one. This group of school misfits operates their their spy ring from the home base of their school, using a school bus rocket to get to their destinations. Sometimes the story is a little confusing, and to me the author was trying a little too hard to be funny. Many students have enjoyed this book, however, so maybe it is just a matter of taste.



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The Compound

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is another Beehive book nominee for 2011 that will keep you reading long past bedtime. The story is about Eli, son of a billionaire, who is ushered into an underground compound built by his father in the event of a nuclear attack. In the rush to get into the compound, Eli's twin Eddy, and their grandma are left behind. In spite of his heartache at the loss of his twin and grandma, life for Eli and his family goes on rather routinely. Then Eli discovers some important secrets that make him understand that he must be responsible for his families survival.



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Along for the Ride

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The story is simple: summer vacation, girl meets boy. But, this Beehive book award nominee is delightful reading. I think it is because Dessen creates real characters; even the minor characters are multi-faceted. Auden, the main character, goes to stay with her father, his wife, and Auden's new half-sister, baby Thisbe. Auden is a bookworm and a model student, model daughter. She doesn't have the usual teenage plans when going to stay at a beach town like the one where her father lives. Her only plans are to review the textbooks she will be using in her classes in the fall. When she arrives her new stepmother, Heidi, is having such a rough time taking care of baby Thisbe, that Auden steps up to help manage her step-mother's boutique by doing the accounting. Here she meets girls her own age, and becomes acquainted with the boys who hang out at the bike shop, particularly Eli. Auden's life is transformed that summer. It was just nice being "along for the ride" as Auden moves towards self-realization.



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City of Bones

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Although the writing in this book was sometimes laughable, I did find myself caught up in this fantastic tale of Clary Fray and the world of Shadowhunters, vampires, fairies, werewolfs, etc. Clary is a normal teenager in the beginning of the book going with her friend Simon to a club for the evening. It is then that she sees someone being murdered, and finds out the attackers are Shadowhunters. Shadowhunters are assigned to kill the Night Children. As if that were not enough for one evening, when Clary returns home, she finds her apartment ransacked and her mother gone. Clary is also attacked by a slithering beast and sent to the infirmary at the Institute where the Shadowhunters reside. It is here she meets Jace and the adventure really begins. Jace tells her that the person who took her mother was after the Mortal Cup, one of the mortal instruments given to the Shadowhunters. The rest of the story is a fun ride as Clary looks for her mother. She finds many secrets about herself as well as her mother along the way. Recommended for 14 and up.



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Musician's Daughter

The Musician's Daughter by Susanne Dunlap

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The book is one of Utah's Beehive book nominees and deservedly so. The story takes place in eighteenth century Vienna. At the beginning of the story, fifteen-year-old Theresa Maria finds out that her musician father has been murdered. Theresa's mother is expecting a baby any day and is rendered unable to care for the family's needs. The burden of caring for the family and finding out about her father's death falls upon Theresa. Theresa soon discovers that her father was championing the plight of Hungarian serfs (Gypsys), a dangerous cause. The first person account of Theresa builds suspense with each page giving the reader a taste of adventure, mystery and romance. An enjoyable read.



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My Fair Godmother

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This 2011 Beehive book award nominee is perfect for the middle school girl. It has a nice mix of fantasy and modern day teenage angst. It is called My "fair" Godmother instead of My Fairy Godmother because Chrissy, Savannah's godmother, didn't do very well on her tests, so she is only fair, instead of really good. She proves that over and over again in the story. Fun read.



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